The treasured Fisher Community Center in Marshalltown was seriously damaged in the derecho and will be evacuated by all businesses on Friday.

Karn Gregoire, the secretary and treasurer of the Fisher Governor Foundation, said an adjuster and insurance agent viewed the damage to the structure and told her the FCC was one of the worst.

“The damage is substantial,” Gregoire said. “There was damage to the roof and water sat in the building for five days when we didn’t have power. We could not get the water out without electricity, and that just added to the injury.”

Getting the center dry as quickly as possible is the primary focus of the ongoing work at the FCC. The site was a flurry of activity on Thursday as entities housed in the center – the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Marshalltown Area United Way and the Senior Citizens Center – moved items from offices.

Nancy Steveson, the United Way director, said the organization was moved temporarily to the second floor of the YMCA Cultural Center. She said they will be out of the FCC for two to three months.

The timing of the storm has had an impact on the United Way as the annual campaign begins Sept. 17.

“We should have the ability to do everything from the temporary office,” Steveson said. “We have a goal of $780,000. Agencies are still providing services and they still need money to function. Money is still important. We are still going to do what we normally do and hope for the best.”

Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynn Olberding said on Thursday she had a few leads on a location the Chamber can be housed in, but did not have one confirmed yet.

Art collection

Gregoire said they do not yet know the full extent of the damage, but said ceilings will have to be removed and asbestos was discovered which will also be removed.

Luckily, the valuable art collection normally displayed in the FCC’s Impressionist Gallery was not present when the derecho struck.

The foundation contracted consultants to restore the works of art this summer.

“They had custom crates made. It took them three days to package the art and place them into two climate-controlled trucks which took them to be restored,” Gregoire said. “That happened one month before the derecho.”

It was not the first time the collection or the restoration effort dodged a bullet, either.

One day before the July 2018 tornado, the Conservation Center of Chicago finished an evaluation and a comprehensive report of the paintings. It was a big step in the three-year-long process of restoring the collection.

“We have a tremendous collection and when you are dealing with something of value, it takes a tremendous amount of work and depth,” Gregoire said.

In 2019, the foundation completed the fundraising effort to pay for the restoration project, which is fully covered.

“I find it interesting that with this art, we were able to go through the process and get it removed to a safe place,” she said. “The amount of water damage in the building – humidity plays havoc on paintings like these. It is miraculous they were not there. It is a huge relief to those who understand the value this collection will bring to Marshalltown when it is back.”

More art is on display on the grounds surrounding the FCC, including the iconic “Dedication to the Future” sculpture in the pond.

“No large trees fell on any of them, and the sculptures are also in cue to be assessed by professionals,” Gregoire said.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.